BELIZE HAS OFFERED TO HOST
HUMAN RIGHTS SEMINAR

The
Inter-American Commission on Human Rightsdecided at its 108th regular session to hold a series of
regionalseminarson the inter-American system on human rights in the Caribbean region
in the year 2001, in collaboration with the Inter-American Institute of
Human Rights, (Inter-American Institute) San Jose, Costa Rica, the
Government of the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth Secretariat, London,
United Kingdom, and Caribbean Human Rights Network (Caribbean Rights),Barbados. The first seminar was held in Grenada, the Eastern
Caribbean, from February 1 to 2, 2001, at the invitation of the Government
of Grenada.

The
Government of Belize has offered to host the second seminar. Belize became a
member State of the Organization of American States, in 1991.

The
seminar will be held in Belize, for the western Caribbean region from July
19 to 20, 2001, and will include participants from the following countries:
Belize, Jamaica, The Bahamas, Guyana, Haiti, Suriname, and other
participants in the Caribbean region.

The
aim of the seminar is to promote the Inter-American human rights instruments
and mechanisms in the Caribbean region.Participants at the seminar are expected to include: state
officials, attorneys-general, solicitors general, national human rights
commissioners, parliamentary commissioners, ombudsmen, prosecutors, public
defenders, judges, members of the Bar and the legal community law
professors, law students, law enforcement officers, correctional officers,
psychiatrists, physicians and physician assistants, inter-governmental and
non-governmental organizations, and other members of civil society.

The
Inter-American Commission is the principal organ of the Organization of American States entrusted with the
authority to promote, protect, and defend human rights in the Americas, and
serves as a consultative organ to the OAS in these matters. The IACHR
derives its authority from the OAS’s Charter, its Statute, the American
Convention on Human Rights, the American Declaration on the Rights and
Duties of Man, and its Regulations.The
Commission analyzes individual petitions and cases under the American
Convention on Human Rights from the countries that have ratified that
instrument, and under the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of
Man from the other member states of the OAS. The Commission also studies the
human rights situation in the countries of the hemisphere, examines specific
issues within its sphere of competence and prepares and publishes the
corresponding reports. The IACHR comprises seven Commissioners who are
elected in their personal capacity by the OAS General Assembly and do not
represent their countries of origin or residence.

The Inter-American Commission wishes to thank and commend the
Government of Belize for extending an invitation to the Commission to host
the second seminar in Belize, and to assist the IACHR in facilitating the
seminar.

The
Inter-American Commission also extends its thanks to the Government of the
United Kingdom, the Inter-American Institute, the Commonwealth Secretariat
and Caribbean Rights for their collaboration in this series of seminars.